The 2009 ASHS Annual Conference

This talk will discuss why the recently created undergraduate curriculum in sustainable agriculture was initiated at the University of Kentucky, and describe the process that was used to define the structure of the curriculum. The curriculum will be presented and discussion will follow on how it has been developed specifically to focus on the three pillars of sustainable agriculture: environmental stewardship, economic profitability, and social responsibility.  The presentation will briefly show how experiential learning is a focus of the curriculum and how it is being incorporated through the creation of an apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship allows students to gain hands-on learning on a wide range of topics as they work on our organically-certified horticulture farm and market produce through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. An overview of the University of Kentucky farm and how the structure of the apprenticeship and CSA maximizes the student learning and outreach will be given.